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207th out of 2,636 books
—
4,868 voters
My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon #1)
When Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of an overworked and underappreciated baby flying dragon, he stows away on a ship and travels to Wild Island to rescue the dragon.
Paperback, 74 pages
Published
December 27th 2005
by Yearling
(first published April 12th 1948)
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I got a copy of this book to read with my five year old son. It is a very fun and clever children’s read with some great lessons and some wonderful illustrations.
When Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of a poor overworked baby dragon from an old neighborhood cat he is determined to save the dragon. He travels to Wild Island and, through a series of crazy events, saves the dragon from the animals keeping it prisoner.
This book was first published in 1948 and I am amazed at how well it has aged...more
When Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of a poor overworked baby dragon from an old neighborhood cat he is determined to save the dragon. He travels to Wild Island and, through a series of crazy events, saves the dragon from the animals keeping it prisoner.
This book was first published in 1948 and I am amazed at how well it has aged...more
I loved this book as a kid, and I seem to recall it was the first chapter book I ever read. (Upon my discovery of the Table of Contents, I thought its purpose was so that you could go there and decide which chapter you wanted to read instead of having to read through the whole thing.) Years later I remember having loved it, but very little about the story or the characters, so I decided to give this short Newberry winner a quick read, and it was very quick indeed. Told from the point of view of...more
I gave this book a two star rating because it got boring every chaapter was titled The Chapter My Father meets a _________________. In each chapter he did the exact sam9e thing out smart the animal with something in his bag. There was hardly any action throughout the book then on the last page all the action happened. I only read it because I had to read a fantasy.
Finally got through My Father's Dragon with the restless Meteor. He's more of an action kind of guy as opposed to a boy who can be read to. He'd rather wrestle.
Good first chapter book all around, I suppose. A little boring really. The most interesting thing about it, I thought, was that it's had such a long shelf life, (1948), without my ever having heard of it, (my older boys said that they thought they remembered their 3rd grade teacher reading it to them in class) and that it was written by R...more
Good first chapter book all around, I suppose. A little boring really. The most interesting thing about it, I thought, was that it's had such a long shelf life, (1948), without my ever having heard of it, (my older boys said that they thought they remembered their 3rd grade teacher reading it to them in class) and that it was written by R...more
Childrens picture chapter book, fiction
This story is about Elmer Elevator and his travels to Tangerine Island in the pursuit of his dream to fly. In the beginning he takes in a stray cat who tells him of a baby dragon being held captive on wild island because he serves as a means of travel for the animals. Before Elmer heads off on his adventure the cat gives him some advice so he is prepared. On the island he has to stay hidden from the wild animals like the boars, lion, crocodiles, tigers and...more
This story is about Elmer Elevator and his travels to Tangerine Island in the pursuit of his dream to fly. In the beginning he takes in a stray cat who tells him of a baby dragon being held captive on wild island because he serves as a means of travel for the animals. Before Elmer heads off on his adventure the cat gives him some advice so he is prepared. On the island he has to stay hidden from the wild animals like the boars, lion, crocodiles, tigers and...more
In the third grade, I met Mrs. Palombi, my favorite teacher ever. She taught us how to churn butter (you sit in a circle, pass around a bottle of heavy cream that everyone takes a turn shaking up, and spread the resulting curds on Ritz crackers), she brought a cotton candy machine to the Fall Festival (during the summer, she ran a beach shack that sold summer treats) and let you “roll your own” as big as you wanted, and every holiday she’d present us with little pins she crocheted herself to com...more
My Father’s Dragon was written by Ruth Stiles Gannett. This is a fantasy fiction book that has also won n award; it is a Newberry Honor Book. The book starts off when Elmer Elevator is a child but is told through the voice of his son. Elmer Elevator hears about a baby dragon being held on Wild Island from a stray cat he took in. He decides to go and run away from home and rescue it. He stows away on a ship and manages to seek onto the Island of Tangerina, which was right next to Wild Island. Elm...more
Annabelle give it 4 Stars.
I thought it was a good book.
Why?
Because it was fun.
What made it fun?
The pictures, I loved looking at them.
What else?
The words. I liked reading them to get a chore done.
Would you recommend this book to others to read?
Yeah, I think other people would like this book.
Like who?
I think Adelyn and Trinity might like it.
What would they like about it?
I think they would sort of things some things would be a little silly.
What was silly?
Like, lions using brushes and combs and get...more
I thought it was a good book.
Why?
Because it was fun.
What made it fun?
The pictures, I loved looking at them.
What else?
The words. I liked reading them to get a chore done.
Would you recommend this book to others to read?
Yeah, I think other people would like this book.
Like who?
I think Adelyn and Trinity might like it.
What would they like about it?
I think they would sort of things some things would be a little silly.
What was silly?
Like, lions using brushes and combs and get...more
If you're looking for a chapter book for a child that is just beginning to have a chapter-book length attention span, this is a great one to start with. The chapters are very short with several illustrations per chapter. We don't ever even learn the name of our narrator - we only know that the main character in our story is the narrator's dad. His father has all kinds of adventures when he goes to a wild island to help rescue a dragon.
Luckily, he brought along his backpack, in which he packed al...more
Luckily, he brought along his backpack, in which he packed al...more
Elmer Elevator, the narrator's father, is nine years old when he meets a talking alley cat, who tells him about his journey to a Wild Island where a baby dragon is held captive, forced to ferry animals across the river that divides the island. Elmer, annoyed with his mother for being rude to the cat, packs twenty-five peanut butter sandwiches, six apples, and assorted gear and stows away on a ship bound for the nearby Tangerina, then crosses a bridge of rocks to explore the island. There he outw...more
My Father's Dragon is a perfect first chapter book to read to your four or five year old because there are pictures on almost every page. The chapters are short and simple, and it moves along at a nice pace. It’s action based, which is what makes it so attractive to younger readers. I think it has special appeal to kids who don’t like to sit still for a book. Both of my sons and my daughter count it as one of their favorite books from childhood.
Briefly, it’s the story of Elmer Elevator, a nine-y...more
Briefly, it’s the story of Elmer Elevator, a nine-y...more
Overall Review: What a sweet, clever, and absolutely charming little tale! I smiled through the whole adventure of little Elmer Elevator trying to save the poor baby dragon from the mean animals of Wild Island! It was such a different telling, as the narrator referred to Elmer as ‘my father’, so it was as if it were being told in the eyes of a child. There were pictures throughout the story as well, and they were such a treat! I laughed out loud with every encounter Elmer had with the animals of...more
okay so recently I haven't read any real books. I apologize but I'm fucking inundated in research on the difference between sex typed traits and sex roles and I"m going crazy enough as it is. I will start actually reading again soon I just needed a moment of calm to get through the storm
recently I've started a habit of rereading. I mean are books as good as I thought? I mean I was historically quite a little idiot (just wait till I reread nothing but the truth). Well this book is. I think a lot...more
recently I've started a habit of rereading. I mean are books as good as I thought? I mean I was historically quite a little idiot (just wait till I reread nothing but the truth). Well this book is. I think a lot...more
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As an adult, this tale was a tad boring due to the predictive, redundant nature of the story. However, this redundancy is also a useful tool when creating a Chapter Book. Predictability is comforting, and often helps beginner readers push through when the text may seem long.
Still, the characters were fun and interesting. A young boy ("my father" as the narrator of the story begins) finds a talking cat. His mother hates the cat and throws it out, but feeling sorry for the cat, the boy befriends...more
Still, the characters were fun and interesting. A young boy ("my father" as the narrator of the story begins) finds a talking cat. His mother hates the cat and throws it out, but feeling sorry for the cat, the boy befriends...more
Feb 20, 2012
Destiny
added it
Now that we have jumped from picture books to small chapter book i am not exactly sure how i am suppose to review these books just yet. i must start with the fact that i didn't check the book out i only read it off line so i might not have the same experience as others have.The story is narrarated by a kid about his fathers encounters in different chapters of his life.The pictures are in black and white and from what i can tell take up a very small portion of the pages. there are ten full chapte...more
To anyone that knows me it will come as quite a shock that this is the first time I have read this even though I have owned it for years. I can distinctly remember being in probably the third or fourth grade and turning up my nose at such an easy book. (Yes, my being a book snob at that age explains everything.) Yet actually it is quite bizarre because I usually tend to read everything I can get my hands on. Anyway I finally read it! This book captures the beauty of simplicity. This light hearte...more
The first book really worried 4-year-old Logan. He didn't understand why the animals were being so mean to the baby dragon and each chapter brought new worries about what the animals would do to the boy. But we'd talk at the beginning of each chapter about how the boy had everything he needed in his bag to deal with situations that came up and then we'd try to guess which of his random collection of stuff he'd need. He liked the second book better. The third book was brought more worries about w...more
What a great adventure for younger readers! The way Elmer Elevator packed every single thing that he needed to make it through Wild Island to rescue the baby dragon -- indicating either great foresight (the alley cat) and predictability (the wild animals) or marvelous coincidence -- is immensely satisfying.
It's rare that books of this age (published 1948) at this accessible reading level hold up so well: books for more accomplished readers often do, but there are few transitional reads from tha...more
It's rare that books of this age (published 1948) at this accessible reading level hold up so well: books for more accomplished readers often do, but there are few transitional reads from tha...more
This book is great for kids who are just starting to read more and are ready to move to a bit larger books. This book does contain quite a few illustrations and is great for young boys and girls who are just starting to read chapter books. Elmer who is the little boy in the story, goes on an adventure to rescue a dragon on an island. The baby dragon is held captive on the island and Elmer goes to save the day. Luckily he brings everything he needs in his backpack to help him strive in his adven...more
I absolutely adored this book when my Kindergarten teacher used to read it to us. For the longest time I could only remember parts of it, though, and not even enough to identify it. One day not long ago I was walking through a Borders that was about to go out of business and I happened to glance down at a table covered in children's books. There sat "My Father's Dragon." The picture on the cover jumped out at me, and I knew at once that I'd found the book that I had been trying to remember for s...more
The story focuses on the narrator’s father, Elmer Elevator, who rescues an alley cat, who, in turn, tells Elmer about a blue and yellow striped baby dragon. Held prisoner by the animals of Wild Island, he is forced to ferry them back and forth across a river. The cat assures Elmer that if he were to rescue the dragon, it would be sure to let him fly on its back.
With a backpack full of useful items, like magnifying glasses, rubber bands, and lollipops, Elmer stows away on a ship. When he finally...more
With a backpack full of useful items, like magnifying glasses, rubber bands, and lollipops, Elmer stows away on a ship. When he finally...more
Dec 07, 2012
Adriana Servin-cruz
added it
This juvenile fantasy book is filled with adventure and suspense as a young boy named Elmer Elevator decides to search for a baby flying dragon who is being held captive by various wild creatures in an isolated jungle island. Being told by the perspective of the son of the main character, initially the book states how Elmer came to know about the dragon from an old alley cat. After hearing the sorrowful story about the baby dragon being overworked, Elmer is determined to leave his home and rescu...more
-Random House
-Time:10/8=45min 10/11=15min 10/12=6min
-7words summary:Elmer-island-cheat-animals-rescue-dragon-fly
-Discussion question:
1.Do you want to see wild animals, such as lions and gorillas? Why? or why not?
No, I don't. I don't want to see wild animals because I like animals in zoo or pets. I am scared of wild animals.
2.If you could go to uninhibited island,what would you like to bring?
I would like to bring foods, water
, games. Moreover, I really need my friends and family! If only me, I wi...more
-Time:10/8=45min 10/11=15min 10/12=6min
-7words summary:Elmer-island-cheat-animals-rescue-dragon-fly
-Discussion question:
1.Do you want to see wild animals, such as lions and gorillas? Why? or why not?
No, I don't. I don't want to see wild animals because I like animals in zoo or pets. I am scared of wild animals.
2.If you could go to uninhibited island,what would you like to bring?
I would like to bring foods, water
, games. Moreover, I really need my friends and family! If only me, I wi...more
I've long heard this touted as a great early chapter book to share with young children. I've been holding on to it far too long and started to fear that we'd outgrow it before we got around to reading it. While it may be aimed at a slightly younger audience, my eight year old daughter and I still found this very enjoyable indeed. We read it in one sitting - treating it more like a long picture book and that worked well for us - but I can see how this would be a very nice introductory chapter boo...more
5 likes · like · see review
This book is about a boy who helps a dragon. He helps the dragon because the gorilla hurts his wing. First he tricks the tigers by giving them chewing gum. Then he tricks the rhinoceros by getting toothpaste and a toothbrush and telling him to brush his tusk. Then he tricks the lion by telling him to brush his hair and put braids in it. Then he tricks the gorilla by giving the monkeys magnifying glasses so they could find the fleas on the gorilla's tummy. Then he tricks the crocodiles by giving...more
I was surprised to learn this was a Newbery honor book, mainly because it took me just 25 minutes to read it. I'm used to Newberys being more "substantial"--in length, at least. But I can see why kids grades K-3 would enjoy it. The pace is rapid, the danger is never too frightening, and the boy--"my father"--is supremely clever (compared to the wild animals, at least).
I think it would make a fun read-aloud with a classroom, especially if you had kids write predictions for each of the chapters:...more
I think it would make a fun read-aloud with a classroom, especially if you had kids write predictions for each of the chapters:...more
Big Girl says: "I would recommend this book to many young readers, because it is a silly but not TOO silly book. I really think the name Elmer Elevator is a great name. I love how he always has his little knapsack full of tricks. I couldn't believe that a lion could comb his mane, and a rhinoceros cared that much about his tusks and used a toothbrush and toothpaste, and a tiger chewing chewing-gum! It is amazing what Ruth Gannett can think of! I also give credit to the pictures, of course, thoug...more
This is a wonderful story I read a long time ago and recently found on audio-book. I listened to it with my 6-year-old daughter and it was great adventurous fun. My Father's Dragon is about a boy named Elmer Elevator who finds a stray cat and brings it home. The cat tells Elmer all about her adventures on Wild Island where there is a baby dragon held captive by the wild animals and being used as a type of postal carrier. The dragon flies over a big river taking animals and packages back and fort...more
Published in the 1940's, this little chapter book has been around for years. I've read it a couple of times before at school, but this time around with my five-year-old busy buddy. He really got into it and didn't want to stop. There are quite a few black and white illustrations to hold the attention of the younger set. Elmer Elevator takes a trip to wild island with a backpack full of an interesting assortment of items that turn out to be exactly what he needs in his encounters with wild beasts...more
This book was WONDERFUL! N1 and I sat down to read it yesterday and couldn't put it down. At the end of every chapter, she said, "Just one more!" and since the chapters were 3-4 pages, I obliged. The story is about an adventure that the storyteller's father had - the main character never has a name, but is referred to as "my father" the whole time. He sets off on an adventure to Wild Island to rescue a baby dragon. With only his knapsack full of supplies, he manages to get by many and varied wil...more
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| What's The Name o...: Children's lit [s] | 3 | 40 | Dec 28, 2012 07:10am |
Ruth Stiles Gannett wrote My Father's Dragon just a few years after her graduation from Vassar College in 1944.
She lives in Upstate New York.
More about Ruth Stiles Gannett...
She lives in Upstate New York.
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